AssetID: 53128635
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Psyche Mission Launches And On Its Way To Metal Asteroid
Caption: NASA's Psyche spacecraft has embarked on its mission to explore an asteroid bearing the same name. Psyche is a metal-rich world that promises to provide valuable insights into the formation of rocky planets. The Psyche mission achieved a successful launch at 10:19 a.m. EDT on Friday, courtesy of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. This historic launch took place from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Notably, the Psyche spacecraft is equipped with NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications technology, a groundbreaking test of laser communication in deep space. This innovative technology has the potential to enhance future exploration missions by offering greater bandwidth for data transmission compared to conventional radio frequency communications. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, says: “Congratulations to the Psyche team on a successful launch, the first journey to a metal-rich asteroid. The Psyche mission could provide humanity with new information about planet formation while testing technology that can be used on future NASA missions. As Asteroid Autumn continues, so does NASA’s commitment to exploring the unknown and inspiring the world through discovery.” Shortly after liftoff, approximately five minutes into the journey, the rocket’s payload fairings separated from the spacecraft and returned to Earth. Roughly an hour later, the Psyche spacecraft detached from the rocket, and ground controllers patiently awaited the acquisition of a signal from the probe. Subsequently, the spacecraft transitioned into a planned safe mode, engaging in minimal engineering activities while awaiting further instructions from mission controllers on Earth. At 11:50 a.m. EDT, Psyche established two-way communication with NASA's Deep Space Network complex in Canberra, Australia, providing initial telemetry data affirming the spacecraft's good health. Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, adds: “I am excited to see the treasure trove of science Psyche will unlock as NASA’s first mission to a metal world. By studying asteroid Psyche, we hope to better understand our universe and our place in it, especially regarding the mysterious and impossible-to-reach metal core of our own home planet, Earth.” The spacecraft is projected to begin orbiting the 173-mile-wide (279-kilometer-wide) asteroid, Psyche, by August 2029, marking the first exploration of a metal-class asteroid. Given the high iron-nickel metal content of Psyche, scientists speculate it may represent a partial core of a planetesimal, a fundamental building block in the formation of early planets. The mission's goal entails a comprehensive 26-month scientific investigation. To traverse the 2.2-billion-mile (3.6-billion-kilometer) voyage to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Psyche employs solar electric propulsion, expelling charged xenon gas atoms to generate thrust gently. Additionally, the spacecraft will leverage Mars' gravitational force as a slingshot to accelerate its journey. The initial 100 days of the mission constitute a commissioning phase to verify the health of all flight systems. A critical component of this phase involves ensuring the readiness of the electric thrusters to operate continuously throughout the mission. Active checks of the science instruments, including the magnetometer, gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, and multispectral imager, will commence in about six weeks. During this period, the imager will capture its initial images for calibration purposes, focusing on standard stars and a star cluster at varying exposures with different filters. Subsequently, the Psyche team will enable the online release of publicly viewable raw images for the mission's duration. The first opportunity to activate the optical communications technology demonstration is expected approximately three weeks from now, when Psyche is estimated to be 4.7 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) away from Earth. This milestone marks NASA's first experiment with high-data-rate optical, or laser, communications beyond the Moon. It's worth noting that while the transceiver is hosted by Psyche, this tech demo will not relay Psyche mission data. “Launching with Psyche is an ideal platform to demonstrate NASA’s optical communications goal to get high-bandwidth data into deep space,” said Dr. Prasun Desai, acting associate administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) at NASA Headquarters. “It’s exciting to know that, in a few short weeks, Deep Space Optical Communications will begin sending data back to Earth to test this critical capability for the future of space exploration. The insights we learn will help us advance these innovative new technologies and, ultimately, pursue bolder goals in space.
Keywords: psyche,nasa,space,astronomy,space craft,launch,falcon heavy,spacex,science,photo,video,feature
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